Feelings
by fireborn19
Summary: Oneshot- Echo goes swimming with Boyd and Claire and discovers something about herself and the other Actives.


Feelings

_A One-shot_

_Using Characters, Ideas, and Information From the TV Show "Doll House"_

_I Do Not Own "Doll House" Or Any Of The Characters_

A dark, giant blob was the first thing I could remember, and slowly the memory developed into a picture. A grim faced man with dark brown skin and sad, brown eyes like an broken-spirited puppy was looking down at me. But even with an obvious aura of depression and guilt- I was drawn to him. At first sight I knew he was my knight in shining armor.

"Did I fall asleep?" I wondered out loud.

"Only for a little while," a gruff spoke softly, and his face relaxed into a contented smile.

"Shall I go now?"

"If you'd like," he said to me.

"My name is Echo, and I like you. Do you want to swim with me?" I asked without a thought.

He looked surprised yet pleased. "If you want me to." I nodded eagerly, then skipped over and grabbed his large hand.

"What is your name?" I said as I slowly walked down the stair steps.

"Boyd."

"Do you swim often Boyd?"

"No."

"I swim everyday. Usually after Yoga. Swimming is better than yoga."

I barely noticed when he raised his eye brows and muttered, "Developing likes and dislikes now?"

After changing into my swimming suit and Boyd had done the same, we entered the pool room from opposite sides. We went swimming, and Boyd said, "You look nice in your swimming suit."

I looked him up and down and replied with a smile, "You don't." He threw back his head and laughed. I found myself smiling along with him.

"May I join you?" asked a quiet voice. I turned, somewhat surprised to see Dr. Saunders.

Boyd stiffened and changed his face, no longer was it warm and smiling but more professional and hard. "It's your decision, although I thought you'd be attending to your job."

He made Dr. Saunders blush, and she was walking away when I called after her, "Please join us! I would like it very much if you would." I tried smiling really big as I noticed it seemed to make people smile back as if they were pleased.

"Well as Boyd has said, I really should get back," she mumbled, but she was still standing still as if waiting for something.

"It's okay, sorry I snapped at you. You can join us if you'd like, I won't tell the boss if you don't want me to," whispered the comforting voice of my knight.

Dr. Saunders turned around and smiled ever so faintly, but it touched her eyes instead of the more forced smiles she struggled to keep. "Thank you." she said simply, then walked hurriedly over to the edge of the pool.

"Thank you for joining us, Dr. Saunders!"

"For now, you can just call me Claire," she whispered.

"I'm going to go swimming now," I said, launching myself under the water like a torpedo and getting to the other side of the pool in only a few seconds. Then I did laps along the stripes marking the lanes of the pool while Claire and Boyd talked. They both smiled the happy, real smiles, and I felt content with everything, but even more than I ever have. In a way, it was nice to know I had helped Claire who rarely smiled anything but grimaces and my knight who was so nice to me. If I could feel like this in yoga I'd probably like it more. Not only a sense of peace but of comradeship and belonging, the fact that any time I waved to my two new friends they'd flash a smile or laugh a bit instead of just putting on an automatic smile they'd use for anyone. I felt special, no longer a part of a whole, but an individual. And I liked this feeling, it was different than any I had experienced.

Actually, never feeling or experiencing anything scared me, instead of being the way I lived like I had all my life. Was my life supposed to be this way? Like all the other Actives with the exception of looks? No... Boyd and Claire had shown me that. They were so different from the Actives, and so were all the instructors and guards and... everyone except us. Why? Why are we so special yet so not special? Perhaps I should get to the bottom of this, but I can't tell anyone, not even the new Claire or my trusty knight. I couldn't act different either, because then they would know I was different than the other Actives and they want me to stay like them. But I'll still try and find everything out, and I'll act until then. Almost like a game! This will be fun. If only Claire and Boyd could play it with me. But eventually, when I do find out, I'll tell them all about these new thoughts. And feelings. Especially the real happiness that's putting the smile on my face right now.


End file.
